Man Of Steel: The New Superman Movie Preview

Superman fans rejoice! Man of Steel, the latest edition in the Clark Kent saga, is set to release in less than a month! Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, and Russell Crowe, I think it’s safe to say that Man of Steel is a film that superhero lovers everywhere can’t wait to see.

The last movie based around Clark Kent was Superman Returns, a 2006 flick starring Brandon Routh. Apparently since the film received mixed reviews, a sequel was ultimately cancelled due to Warner Brothers’ dissatisfaction. With that, the Superman franchise ceased for the time being. But in 2008, the ball started to roll again in regards to a new take on the comic book star. This new direction was that of a film to be entitled Man of Steel. Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead, 300, Sucker Punch) was selected as the director, Christopher Nolan (Inception, The Dark Knight) was picked to produce, and David Goyer (The Dark Knight Rises) won the role of writer.

With the main members of the team picked out, the casting of the film began to take place. Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Immortals) had apparently been turned down for the role of Clark Kent in Superman Returns, but this time around, he scored the coveted position. According to director Zack Snyder, Cavill was “the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”

If you’ve seen any shots of Cavill in the Superman costume, you must admit that he pulls it off perfectly. But what about Lois Lane? As Clark Kent’s on again off again love interest, Amy Adams (Enchanted, The Fighter) was chosen for the role. Apparently she was in competition with Olivia Wilde and Mila Kunis, but Adams was preferred over the other actresses.

Another heavy hitter for this Superman film is Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind), chosen to play Clark Kent’s biological father, Jor-El. Rounding out the cast includes actors such as Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Michael Shannon as General Zod, and Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy. Quite a stellar cast and crew, leading to the belief that this film is going to be something special.

Since Superman Returns was recently released in ’06, discussion ensued about the proper way to revamp and redo the epic superhero series. It has been said that the crew decided the move was possible, sensing the acceptance that fans had in regards to revamps recently done with The Hulk. Apparently changes have been made in the Superman storyline, both surrounding the atmosphere of the film as well as Clark Kent himself. While we will have to wait to see what all of the exact changes are, some have been speculated thus far.

Firstly, since Christopher Nolan is on board, it has been revealed that this film will take a darker, more gritty and realistic vibe – much like the recent Batman trilogy. Superman has always been shown in a bright, almost untouchable light, so I think this change will be quite exciting for the franchise. Aside from this, another change occurs with the costume. The trademark red briefs have been tossed aside, leading to a more modern, yet still original, look to the superhero.

An additional difference? Apparently Superman will possess a weakness other than kryptonite. Yes, that’s right! According to Cavill, in Man of Steel, the all-powerful superhero’s weakness is…his own confusion and sense of isolation. The actor has stated, “He’s alone and there’s no one like him. That must be incredibly scary and lonely, not to know who you are or what you are, and trying to find out what makes sense. Where’s your baseline? What do you draw from? Where do you draw a limit with the power you have? In itself, that’s an incredible weakness.” Well said, Mr. Kent…err…Mr. Cavill. While we’ll have to wait to see the new take on Superman, it’s certainly fun to anticipate what’s going to happen.

As you can see from the information mentioned above, Man of Steel is definitely taking the role of Superman/Clark Kent in a new, intriguing direction. While we can all speculate what’s going to happen and whether the movie’s going to be amazing or not, the only thing we can do is sit patiently and wait until the release date. As Christopher Nolan has been quoted, “Superman is the biggest comic book character of them all and he needs the biggest possible movie version which is what Zack’s doing. It’s really something.”